White House press corps: Where the bleep have you been?

The title quote is from Jon Stewart, the following is courtesy of Mariva Aviram.

Helen Thomas defends the honor of the White House press corps.

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan

The James S. Brady Briefing Room

For Immediate Release

Office of the Press Secretary

July 19, 2004

HELEN THOMAS: Prime Minister Blair took full personal responsibility for
taking his nation into war under falsehoods — under reasons that have been
determined now to be false. Is President Bush also willing to take full,
personal responsibility —

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I think Prime Minister Blair said that it was the right
thing to do; that Saddam Hussein's regime was a threat.

HELEN THOMAS: Those were not the reasons he took his country into war. It
turned out to be untrue, and the same is true for us. Does the President
take full, personal responsibility for this war?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: The issue here is what do you to with a threat in a
post-September 11th world? Either you live with a threat, or you confront
the threat.

HELEN THOMAS: There was no threat.

SCOTT McCLELLAN: The President made the decision to confront the threat.

HELEN THOMAS: Saddam Hussein did not threaten this country.

SCOTT McCLELLAN: The world — the world, the Congress and the
administration all disagree. They all recognized that there was a threat
posed by Saddam Hussein. When it came to September 11th, that changed the
equation. It taught us, as I said —

HELEN THOMAS: The Intelligence Committee said there was no threat.

SCOTT McCLELLAN: As I said, it taught us that we must confront threats
before it's too late.

HELEN THOMAS: So the President doesn't take full responsibility?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: The President already talked about the responsibility for
the decisions he's made. He talked about that with Prime Minister Blair.